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Bagel Slicers
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- Kitchen Supplies
- Food Prep Supplies
- Bagel Slicers
- Maximum Width:6 in
- Price:$2000 - $3000
You'd be surprised just how many accidents, slips, scrapes, and cuts come from trying to slice open and top off a bagel; in fact, bagel-cutting was once known as the 5th most dangerous activity in the American kitchen – ouch. It's a surprisingly difficult task, but cutting that bagel in two can be a breeze when you've got commercial bagel slicers doing the hard work. Ideal for bakeries, breakfast destinations, and continental breakfast nooks, commercial bagel slicers can be as important and crucial to your operation as your toaster or coffee maker, which is why finding the right one (or two) that you can rely on, is a pretty big deal.
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1. How long are shipping times?
Your product will ship as soon as the order is placed and paid. Usually within 48 hours.
2. What is your return policy?
Our policy for return is the product is defective or you receive wrong product. Please notify us if this is the case within 48 hours of product receipt. We will send to you the right product or a return if the product is defective.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging.
Read more of our return policy here
3. Can i cancel my order?
Cancellations are possible if you do not receive your package within the timeline specified for individual product. Sometimes orders get sent out before we could process the cancellation. So if you cancel your order but still receive the package, please go ahead and do one of the three things: recycle it, donate it or enjoy it.
4. What happen if i receive the wrong item?
If there is an issue with your order such as wrong color, wrong size, defective or otherwise not exactly as you wanted. Then simply notify us and we will give you a refund.
5. Do you offer exchanges?
We do not offer exchanges. However if there is any reason you did not get the exact product that you ordered. Just let us know and we will get you a new one.
6. How can I order?
- Firstly, you should visit apunanwu.com
- Then, you should add the item into your cart and continue with ordering process.
- At the end, payment process starts. (Note: You can create an account or proceed as a guest). After you fill this information, click Submit button and finish ordering.
7. What payment methods do you accept?
We accept Visa, Apple Pay, Amex paypal and MasterCard payments on our website
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- For orders over 100 dollars we offer free shipping to USA, Canada, European & Australian destinations.
- For other destinations, shipping cost depends on your location and product you bought. It is calculated on checkout.
- Please add the product you want to buy to your cart and complete checkout process.
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Tracking code of the shipment will be sent to you when parcel of product you've bought is shipped.
To track your order? Click here
10. Do you have the product in stock ?
No worries !
All products which are shown on our site are always available and in stock.
Apunanwu in brief
Apunanwu brand is powered by Aurora Residential Oy. A Finnish company with registration number 3115476-6 and tax number FI31154766. Apunanwu.com is a professional storewide discount supplier in accessories products for home, outdoor, pet, hair and beauty etc

subset: commoncrawl


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MusiCares Tribute To Carole King Spans Generations, Genres
By Brian Ives
Carole King has won multiple GRAMMYs, and she's in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as well as the Songwriters Hall of Fame. But if there's an official award for humility, surely she would be up for it.
"Tonight is really not about me," King said, when taking the stage during the a splashy tribute show in L.A Friday (Jan. 24), honoring her as the MusiCares 2014 Person of the Year. "It's about MusiCares. It's about the people who care."
Taking place as it usually does just before the GRAMMY Awards, the annual MusiCares Person of the Year event has in the past honored such artists as Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt and Gloria Estefan. This year's King tribute featured a stellar lineup of major artists from across multiple genres, all of whom honored the legendary singer-songwriter by performing covers of some of her best-known songs. Artists included Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, Pink, Lady Gaga, Sara Bareilles, Zac Brown, Miranda Lambert and Alicia Keys.
Show host Jimmy Kimmel poked fun at the posh crowd and venue -- the Los Angeles Convention Center -- joking that "MusiCares asked, 'What venue seems least like the Troubadour?,'" a reference to the L.A. club where King often played in the early '70s. Throughout the night, Kimmel mocked the audience about their phones ("If I catch you texting during the performances I'm going to smash those f***ing phones over your heads!") and using them to capture video ("…so you can put it on YouTube and never watch it. Because that's what live music is all about.")
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Exclusive: Guiding Light Vets Reunite on The Bold and the Beautiful
They played young marrieds Christina and Remy Boudreau on Guiding Light, and now Karla Mosley and Lawrence Saint-Victor have both been snapped up by The Bold and the Beautiful. But the casting is mere coinkydink! A rep for the CBS serial tells TV Guide Magazine "we went for the two best actors possible. These new characters are not connected, though they will arrive on the show in close proximity."
Mosley joins the cast Jan. 17 as Maya, a woman who shares a Skid Row past with Dayzee (Kristolyn Lloyd) - and Dayzee is not one bit happy about it! Saint-Victor hits Jan. 29 playing a not-yet-named character who is the adoptive brother of Dayzee's husband Marcus (Texas Battle). Both are contract roles.
Also look for Telemundo favorite Cindy Luna to appear on Jan. 30 in scenes with Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood).
Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!
View original Exclusive: Guiding Light Vets Reunite on The Bold and the Beautiful at TVGuide.com
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Dear Prudence: Dream deferred
DEAR PRUDENCE: My partner was brought to the U.S. illegally as a child. Around the age of 16 he bought another person's identity. He has been using this person's Social Security number ever since and has a successful career, etc. We'd like to get married in the next few years. What are the implications down the road? - HE PAID FOR HIS IDENTITY
DEAR PAID: How terrible it must be to be a person brought here as a child, living the life of a productive American citizen, while knowing that at any time the government might unmask the lie at the heart of a good life. I spoke with Crystal Williams, executive director of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. She naturally and correctly said that your partner needs to consult with his own immigration attorney to understand what could happen in his case, but she supplied a general outline of what your future husband might face. She pointed out that a crucial piece of information is how he got here. If he was sneaked across the border, that could require that he leave the country in order to regularize his status, which in turn could trigger a 10-year bar from returning. Because Congress has failed to pass the DREAM Act, which would provide potential relief to young people brought illegally to this country as children, the administration created a (probably temporary) reform called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. If your partner is eligible for DACA, it could help mitigate his jeopardy in regard to that initial illegal entry.
Williams also pointed out the dangers inherent in having bought someone else's name and Social Security number, which could be aggravated identity theft. Since your partner has surely filled out employment forms, if he's falsely declared himself to be a citizen, that's a crime which can prevent someone from gaining legal status. It goes on and on — and finding out confidentially what the potential pitfalls are and what remedies (if any) are available is why people pay lawyers. But of course, we don't know how many people like your partner are simply hiding in plain sight, successfully pulling off the subterfuge, maybe for a lifetime. In any case, you two should check out Define American, the advocacy group co-founded by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas, who was brought here as a boy, pretended to be an American citizen, then "came out" as an undocumented person. I recommend you both watch his moving documentary "Documented." - PRUDIE
DEAR PRUDIE: I am being bullied at work. I'm a professional woman in a field with limited opportunities. I work in a very small office and am the newest and youngest employee. Since I started, the "mean girls" have excluded me from conversations, grow hushed when I walk into a room, and have been generally unfriendly. I've been brushing it off and figured it would take me time to integrate. Then I overheard two of them saying some petty and nasty things about my appearance and attire. I'm a generally likable, (relatively) good-looking, non-smelly, appropriately dressed person (you'll just have to take my word). My boss is a nice guy, but these employees have been with him since the beginning. I am not the only one on the receiving end of this behavior. I like my work but I'm barely resisting the urge to let the mean girls have it for being so awful to me and others. I can't afford to quit as I have mountains of student debt, jobs are scarce, and I have a young family to support. How can I handle this situation, and perhaps confront the mean girls, without propagating the cycle of bullying? - SICK OF MEANIES
DEAR SICK: You're a young professional, but we don't know if the mean girls are your superiors or if they are support staff. Of course wherever you are in the hierarchy does not justify their behavior, but if they have administrative duties, it could be they resent being subordinate to you-and other new, young professionals-and enjoy hazing all of you. Whatever the origin of their ridiculousness, do not start off by going the confrontation route. Instead, occasionally bring in for everyone in the office a homemade platter of brownies or a basket of fruit you got from a farm stand. Since these women have been around forever, turn to them occasionally for advice, even if it's the last thing you want to do. Be gracious and unflappable. Maybe you'll never win these mean girls over, but on some level they will have to recognize how petty they're being by mocking your outfits. If, however, their behavior is directly impacting your work in a negative way, say if they aren't fulfilling requests or are being otherwise professionally uncooperative, then you have to address it firmly and directly. Tell them you are ultimately all there to serve your clients, customers or patients — whatever the case may be — and undermining your ability to do this is simply not acceptable. Start documenting what's going on, so if it doesn't stop and you have go to the boss, you can be as factual as possible. Maybe he's one of those oblivious guys who lets bad behavior fester until he's forced to address it. So keep in mind that for the time being, you're still new and untested, and this nasty bunch are his loyal reliables. - PRUDIE
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Rob Kardashian Publicly Accuses Rita Ora of Cheating, Deletes Tweets
The reality star and sock designer recently split with his rumored girlfriend, singer Rita Ora, and was a little too forthcoming with details about their split on Twitter.
"She cheated on me with nearly 20 dudes while we were together, I wonder how many she will sleep with now that we apart? But I mean 20?!" Kardashian, 25, tweeted on Monday, according to The Insider. "How can a woman who is so busy trying to start her own career have time to be with so many dudes all while in a relationship?!"
RIP Jelena and TomKat! Check out the most shocking celebrity splits
His sister, Khloe Kardashian-Odom, also sent him the comforting message, "Cheaters never prosper @RobKardashia. I'll be home today... Try and smile little brother," via Twitter before all of their tweets were deleted later on Monday.
The sole Kardashian son and the "R.I.P." singer, 22, reportedly started dating over the summer. Although both parties initially denied they were an item, Kardashian posted romantic photos with Ora in late October.
Ora has yet to respond publicly to Kardashian's allegations. Whose side are you on?
View original Rob Kardashian Publicly Accuses Rita Ora of Cheating, Deletes Tweets at TVGuide.com
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ASNT has launched a new service for the sale and distribution of digital books. Visit ebooks.asnt.org to begin shopping.
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Mass Spectrometer Testing Method (Book HM) - Supplement to Recommended Practice No. SNT-TC-1A (Q&A Books) - Leak Testing
A book containing recommended Level I, II, and III questions and answers about specific leak testing methods. An excellent way to review LT material and prepare yourself for testing situations.
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DAVID J. MILLER is a Allied Health Professions licensed to practice in Massachusetts. This licensed professional license is current. The license was granted 05/19/1986 and expired on 12/21/2013.
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[Updated at 3:43 a.m. ET Wednesday] The San Bernardino Sheriff's Office said early Wednesday morning that investigators have located charred human remains in the debris of the burned-out cabin where law-enforcement officers exchanged gunfire with a suspect believed to be Dorner.
The sheriff's office said the body has not been identified, and that identification will be attempted through forensic means.
[Updated at 12:33 a.m. ET Wednesday] New details about the suspect's encounter and shootout with game wardens before the shootout with sheriff's deputies at the cabin: Game wardens saw the suspect in two vehicles Tuesday.
California Department of Fish and Wildlife Lt. Patrick Foy says two game wardens first chased the suspect as he was driving a purple Nissan in the San Bernardino National Forest. The wardens, in a patrol truck, had been told to look out for the Nissan, and they saw it driving in the opposite direction behind two buses.
Foy says the wardens did a U-turn and tried to follow the Nissan, but they lost him. Authorities now believe the suspect passed the buses and turned onto a different road, called Glass Road.
Later, three different wardens in two vehicles were driving on Glass Road and saw a white pickup truck traveling erratically toward them. One of the wardens believed he saw Dorner driving the truck.
The truck's driver fired a gun at one of the wardens' vehicles, Foy said. A warden got out and returned fire as the suspect drove away.
Foy said no warden was injured. He said he didn't know whether the suspect was shot.
Authorities say they believe the suspect ditched the second vehicle and entered a cabin, where he eventually exchanged gunfire Tuesday afternoon with San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies, killing one and wounding another.
Hours later, according to police, a SWAT team stormed the cabin, which caught fire after police detonated smoke devices inside the structure, a law enforcement source told CNN.
The San Bernadino County Sheriff's Department says it believes a body is in the cabin, but investigators have yet to examine the cabin because it was still smoldering.
[Updated at 11:45 p.m. ET] The San Bernardino Sheriff's Department is echoing the LAPD's refutation of reports that Dorner's body was found in the burned cabin, but it acknowledges investigators believe a body is there.
"We believe (the suspect) is still inside the cabin that caught fire," SBSD spokeswoman Cindy Bachman said.
Later, she said, "(Investigators) believe a body is in there," but that investigators still haven't been inside the cabin to look for one.
"It is too hot. (It's) still smoldering" and not safe to enter, Bachman said, adding that officials believe there still is live ammunition in the smoldering cabin.
"We believe that the person that barricaded himself inside the cabin and engaged in gunfire with our deputies ... is still inside there even though the building burned," she said.
[Updated at 11:13 p.m. ET] Los Angeles police are now contradicting media reports that a body was found in the cabin.
No such thing was found in the cabin, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesman told reporters moments ago, because cabin is still burning and is too hot to search.
The spokesman said the LAPD will continue to protect the LAPD officers that Dorner - accused of targeting police officers because he the LAPD fired him in 2008 - allegedly identified as potential threats in a letter made public last week.
[Updated at 10:40 p.m. ET] We're awaiting a news conference from authorities regarding today's events. Could happen quite soon.
[Updated at 10:02 p.m. ET] A body believed to be that of Christopher Dorner has been pulled from the burning cabin, multiple law enforcement sources tell CNN contributor Tom Fuentes. The sources say they were told this by LAPD.
Law enforcement personnel will conduct a forensic exam to identify the body, the sources say.
[Updated at 9:53 p.m. ET] Some details on the surviving deputy who was wounded in today's shootout at the cabin: That deputy still is in surgery and is expected to live, San Bernardino County sheriff's spokeswoman Jodi Miller says.
That deputy was one of two deputies who were wounded in a shootout at the cabin in Califorina's San Bernardino National Forest on Tuesday afternoon. The other deputy was pronounced dead on arrival at a hospital, authorities said.
The names of the deputies have not been released.
[Updated at 9:40 p.m. ET] The Los Angeles Police Department has scheduled a media briefing at midnight ET.
We're still waiting for details about the fire at the cabin, which began more than two hours ago.
[Updated at 9:14 p.m. ET] Earlier, we reported that U.S. Marshals Service district chief Kurt Ellingson told us a suspect tried to get out the back door of the cabin at some point today and was pushed back inside. But there are now conflicting reports about whether the suspect ever emerged.
Ellingson says authorities are not sure whether the suspect came out.
[Updated at 8:52 p.m. ET] Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa tells reporters that "on behalf of the people of Los Angeles, our hearts and prayers are with the San Bernardino deputy who was shot and killed today."
"Our prayers are with the family, with the people of San Bernardino, with the police and the sheriff's department of that county. I want to thank them for their bravery."
The suspect, Dorner, was a Los Angeles police officer from 2005 to 2008.
[Updated at 8:44 p.m. ET] Personnel are clearing a road so that firefighters can extinguish the flames at the cabin, authorities familiar with the operation.
[Updated at 8:34 p.m. ET] At some point today, a suspect tried to get out the back door of the cabin, but he was pushed back inside, U.S. Marshals Service district chief Kurt Ellingson told CNN's Brian Todd.
We're still waiting for details about the fire at the cabin, which began about an hour ago.
[Updated at 8:19 p.m. ET] Kyle Martin, son of the cabin's owner, says six cabins are on the 10-acre property. Martin says he believes the suspect barricaded himself in the main cabin, behind which the five smaller cabins exist.
[Updated at 8:09 p.m. ET] Kyle Martin, son of the cabin's owner, told CNN that he believes no one was staying at the cabin Tuesday before the suspect entered it.
[Updated at 8:07 p.m. ET] More details on the authorities' recent assault on the cabin, which is on fire: It's not clear whether the suspect is still in the cabin, but the area is surrounded by law enforcement personnel, San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Cindy Bachman said.
No one is allowed to go near the fire, including fire department personnel, she said.
"There was active gunfire before the fire" between the suspect and law enforcement, she said. Bachman said she was not aware of any communications with the suspect.
[Updated at 7:57 p.m. ET] The cabin is indeed on fire, but authorities aren't sure whether Dorner is inside, a San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman said.
Authorities also aren't certain that Dorner was the person they chased to the cabin and fatally shot a sheriff's deputy, but that the suspect has been described as looking like Dorner and "we have reason to believe that it is him," she said.
She added that she's not aware of any hostages at the cabin.
[Updated at 7:46 p.m. ET] Back to the casualties in this afternoon's shootout: After confirming that one of two wounded deputies had died, San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon said the second deputy was in surgery, "but he should be fine."
That shootout was a few hours ago; we're still awaiting details of what law enforcement sources say was a separate police assault on the cabin that began about 30 minutes ago. The cabin still is on fire.
[Updated at 7:43 p.m. ET] While we're awaiting information about what law enforcement sources say was a police assault on the cabin, here's some details about the vehicle that the suspect allegedly stole:
A friend of the vehicle's owner tells CNN that a man, who police believe was Dorner, emerged from the woods in the Big Bear Lake area Tuesday and pointed a gun at the owner, who was in the vehicle with his dog.
The gunman ordered the owner and the dog out of the vehicle, and then drove off with it, the friend said, citing the owner.
The carjacking was then reported to police, leading to this afternoon's events. A recap: Police say they found the suspect driving the stolen vehicle about 5 miles to the southeast (actually a 27-mile drive around Sugarloaf Mountain), and the suspect ran into the woods and entered a cabin, where a shootout involving the suspect killed one officer and wounded another.
[Updated at 7:33 p.m. ET] More details on authorities' current assault on the cabin: Fire, as well as smoke from devices that the officers detonated, have engulfed the structure, according to authorities familiar with the operation. Ammunition is exploding inside, the sources said.
[Updated at 7:30 p.m. ET] One of two sheriff's deputies shot Tuesday by a man suspected to be Dorner has died, San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon told reporters at California's Loma Linda University Medical Center.
[Updated at 7:26 p.m. ET] The cabin appears to be on fire. Authorities began an assault on the structure minutes ago.
Authorities have penetrated the structure and were bringing equipment to tear openings into the cabin, a source familiar with the operation said.
[Updated at 7:22 p.m. ET] Black smoke is rising high in the air from the cabin area, video from CNN affiliate KABC shows. The video appeared to be taken from a distance; authorities had asked news helicopters to keep well away.
[Updated at 7:20 p.m. ET] Authorities have launched tear gas at the cabin, and a tactical operation is under way, Former FBI Assistant Director Tom Fuentes tells CNN.
[Updated at 7:18 p.m. ET] A California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesman says he believes one of his agency's game wardens was the first law enforcement official to confront the suspect in the stolen vehicle, and exchanged gunfire with him.
The game warden was on patrol and saw the vehicle approaching in the Big Bear area, the spokesman said. The warden got out of his vehicle and fired at the suspect, the spokesman said. It's not clear from the spokesman's interview that the suspect left his vehicle at that point.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department says the suspect left the stolen vehicle Tuesday afternoon as authorities confronted him, ran into a forest and eventually entered a cabin, where a shootout happened.
[Updated at 7:08 p.m. ET] A little more on the geography: The area where the suspect got out of the vehicle and fled into the San Bernardino National Forest (and then into a cabin) is about 5 miles southwest, as the bird flies, of the spot where the vehicle was reported stolen near Big Bear Lake. But the most direct series of roads between the two locations is about 27-mile drive around Sugarloaf Mountain.
[Updated at 6:46 p.m. ET] One of the two law enforcement officers hurt in today's shootout has died, CNN affiliates and the Los Angeles Times have reported. The Times cited law enforcement sources.
We're awaiting a news conference at the medical center.
[Updated at 6:42 p.m. ET] We're about to get an update on the two injured sheriff's deputies. A news conference is expected to begin shortly at California's Loma Linda University Medical Center.
[Updated at 6:19 p.m. ET] A reporter with CNN affiliate KCBS captured audio of gunfire during an encounter between police and the suspect. It's unclear which party was shooting during the audio recording, which runs for more than a minute. Here it is:
[Updated at 6:19 p.m. ET] Aerial footage from KCAL and KCBS shows officers stopping and checking the interiors of vehicles on a road in the Big Bear area.
[Updated at 6:15 p.m. ET] LAPD Cmdr. Andrew Smith tells reporters that authorities aren't 100% sure that the suspect in the cabin is Dorner, but they believe it's him.
"The likelihood is that it is him, but we can't say for sure," Smith said.
Smith called on Dorner to surrender. "Everyone is very hopeful that this thing ends without further bloodshed," he said.
"If he's watching this, the message for (him) is enough is enough," Smith said. "It's time to turn yourself in. It's time to end the bloodshed."
Smith said authorities believe the suspect has access to TV. Smith asked television stations to not show live signals of the cabin area "because it puts our officers at a tactical disadvantage."
Earlier today, San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon has asked that news helicopters pull back or leave the area of the barricaded suspect. (See 5:36 p.m. entry.)
[Updated at 6:03 p.m. ET] The two deputies who were injured in this incident have been airlifted to Loma Linda Medical Center, a San Bernardino County sheriff's spokeswoman Jodi Miller says. No information on their conditions has been released.
Moments ago, LAPD Cmdr. Andrew Smith told reporters that the deputies were injured during the gunfire exchange between officers and the suspect at the cabin where the suspect barricaded himself. This squares with what a law enforcement source told CNN earlier.
Smith told reporters that LAPD officers are waiting for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department to give them authorization to assist in today's incident.
[Updated at 6 p.m. ET] We're expecting to hear from the Los Angeles Police Department soon. A news conference is expected to start in a few minutes.
[Updated at 5:36 p.m. ET] San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon has asked that news helicopters pull back or leave the area of the barricaded suspect.
"Gunfire is being exchanged between law enforcement and the suspect; your personnel are in danger and could contribute to officer safety on the ground," the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department said in a statement.
[Updated at 5:22 p.m. ET] Authorities are now saying that a man believed to be Dorner exchanged gunfire with law enforcement officers after he barricaded himself inside a cabin Tuesday afternoon, the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department says.
Here's the sequence of events from the sheriff's department: Officers got a report of a stolen vehicle in the Big Bear area, and deputies responded to the area at 12:22 p.m. PT and began looking for the vehicle on the ground and from the air.
"The vehicle was located at Hwy. 38 and Glass Rd. The suspect fled into the forest and barricaded himself inside a cabin," the sheriff's department said in a statement. "A short time later there was an exchange of gunfire between law enforcement and the suspect. Sheriff's SWAT is on scene."
Two law enforcement officers are being airlifted to a local hospital with "unknown injuries," the sheriff's department said. Earlier, a high-ranking law enforcement source told CNN that two sheriff's deputies were wounded in a shootout.
[Updated at 5:16 p.m. ET] Authorities have ignited a smoke grenade in the Big Bear area of California to mark a location for police helicopters, a high ranking law official with knowledge of the investigation said Tuesday.
[Updated at 5:15 p.m. ET] Former FBI Assistant Director Tom Fuentes explains to CNN what law enforcement personnel usually mean when they say someone is "pinned down":
"The term commonly means he's not running any more, that they've got him trapped in a home or some other physical location ... . That means he's contained; that doesn't mean he's in custody ... but it means he's not running loose."
Earlier, a high-ranking law enforcement source told CNN that authorities believe they have Dorner "pinned down" in California's Big Bear Lake area after a shootout in which two sheriff's deputies were wounded Tuesday.
[Updated at 5:09 p.m. ET] As a precaution, schools in the Big Bear Lake area are on lockdown, Big Bear Lake Mayor Jay Obernolte says.
[Updated at 5:06 p.m. ET] Authorities believe Dorner is "pinned down" in a rural area about 8 miles south of Big Bear Lake, California, the city's mayor told CNN.
Mayor Jay Obernolte says his thoughts and prayers are with the two deputies who police say were wounded in a shootout Tuesday with Dorner.
"If they were injured in the defense of our community, we owe them a huge debt of gratitude," Obernolte said.
[Updated at 12:10 p.m. ET, Wednesday February 13] We are reinstating these two posts from 5:06 p.m. ET and 5:09 p.m. ET that were previously removed because of internal miscommunication. The information and quotes were always accurate and from the mayor. We regret the error.
[Updated at 4:49 p.m. ET] Two sheriff's deputies have been wounded in a shootout with a suspect believed to be renegade ex-Los Angeles police officer Christopher Jordan Dorner, a high-ranking law official with knowledge of the investigation said Tuesday.
The source says the suspect, believed to be Dorner, shot the deputies as police responded to a report of a home invasion and a carjacking in the Big Bear area of southern California.
After police got a description of the vehicle, police set up a road block, and Dorner approached the officers, the source says. Dorner then opened fire, wounding the two sheriff's deputies, according to the source.
The official said Dorner was pinned down.
[Updated at 4:35 p.m. ET] The San Bernardino Sheriff's Department confirms that authorities were chasing a pickup truck, according to CNN's Casey Wian.
The department hasn't confirmed whether Dorner is connected to the chase. It did say that Dorner wasn't in custody, CNN's Chris Welch reported.
[Posted at 4:31 p.m. ET] Law enforcement officers are responding to reports that ex-LAPD officer Christopher Jordan Dorner has been sighted and may have been involved in a robbery in the Big Bear area of southern California, said law enforcement sources involved in the investigation.
Dorner - who indicated he was on a campaign of vigilante justice for what he believes was his unfair termination from the LAPD in 2008 - has been the subject of a seven-day manhunt as a suspect in three killings.
Dorner is accused of killing one police officer and wounding two others, as well as killing the daughter of his police union representative and her fiancé.
RIP, Chocolate Rambo. You were the hero we deserved.
what a bunch of morons who call this deranged sociopath a "hero". i dont know whether to feel anger, disgust or fear that this country has such idiots that support and cheer these horrific events.
This is what needs to happen nation wide. It's time to take our country back from the corrupt and evil police.
It was a planned, coordinated murder which was heard internationally in the United States but sounds like Nazi Germany or Soviet Russia.
I have no sympathy for that killer. To take two innocent civilian lives to make a point. The cops got it right. So what if they let it burn or even if they set it. The guy was a proven killer and needed to be stopped NOW and that's that. Oh, and how about the cops that got killed, how about all the family's. what about the the firemen and paramedics that would have been killed if the cops listened to all the whacko bleeding hearts out there. It's time we start dealing with all terrorists swiftly and on the spot .good job guys
I can't believe CNN has audio of a coordinated murder and chooses to do nothing ...again!
A Medical Assistant (MA) is an integral member of the health care delivery team, qualified
by education and experience to work in the administrative office, the examining room and the
physician office laboratory. The medical assistant
, also a liaison between the doctor and the
patient, is of vital importance to the success of the medical practice.Nature of the Work
I know, and the police know that the body was not Dorner's. And that Dorner wasn't even present at this debacle. They figured that if they can "kill him off" in the media that they can smoke him out.


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Lung Transplantation in Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension
Consensus Statements
Issued by the Scientific Leadership Council
Download & Print PDF
Lung transplantation is a treatment option for selected patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) when medical therapy is no longer effective. Lung transplantation can prolong survival and improve quality of life, but some patients have significant complications and may not realize its potential benefits.Although lung transplantation offers a potential cure for PH coupled with improved quality of life, it may lead to shorter survival, on average, compared to other solid organ transplants. Potential complications include organ rejection, infections, side effects of drugs that suppress the immune system and lung transplant recipients need to be followed closely by a transplant center that may not be close to home.
Some lung transplant patients survive ten years or more with a good quality of life; however, some patients survive only a few months or less because of serious complications. Even at the best transplant centers, the survival statistics for lung transplants are lower overall than for kidney, liver or heart transplants. The current lung transplant survival statistics from the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation Registry show an overall one-year survival of 74 percent and a five-year survival of 45 percent. Thus, survival is less than five years for more than half of the patients who receive a lung transplant. The major long-term problem is chronic rejection, which results in persistent worsening function of the transplanted lung or lungs. Chronic lung rejection occurs earlier and more frequently in lung transplant recipients as compared to recipients of other transplanted organs.
Unfortunately, the timing of lung transplantation cannot be controlled, even though it is a critical issue for many patients. The majority of donor lungs are obtained from donors who die from accidental injuries, making the availability of donor organs unpredictable. The number of patients who need lung transplants considerably exceeds the number of available donor lungs, and lungs are transplanted according to the recipient's indication for transplant (e.g. pulmonary hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary fibrosis). A number of other factors are used to calculate the lung allocation score (the current process by which patients are listed to obtain a lung transplant), which reflects disease severity and urgency of transplantation as well as the likelihood that a patient will survive to at least one year following transplantation. Emergency lung transplantation is sometimes possible, but it cannot be done unless the patient has already been evaluated by a transplant center.
The distribution of donated organs in the United States is regulated by the United Network for Organ Sharing, and additional information is available on their website. Outside of the United States, the process of getting listed for lung transplantation is, in general, much more difficult and the availability of organs is somewhat limited but varies from country to country. Additional information about lung transplantation worldwide is available at the website of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation.
Deciding on the optimal time to be listed for transplantation is often difficult. This is especially true in patients receiving epoprostenol (Flolan) or other intensive PH treatment, although three separate retrospective analyses that included nearly 400 patients with idiopathic PH receiving epoprostenol found that failure to improve clinically or hemodynamically one year after starting therapy was associated with a significantly worse outcome. In general, PH in its early stages does not immediately threaten the life of the patient, so transplantation is not recommended at that time. On the other hand, the possibility of transplantation should be discussed before patients are too ill. When transplantation is considered late in the course of the disease, there is a substantial risk that the patient will not survive until donor lungs are available. The approach followed by many centers is to add a patient (if eligible; see below) to the transplant waiting list at the time he or she initiates epoprostenol or other aggressive therapy. If the patient subsequently improves with treatment, he or she may choose to become inactive on the waiting list. Once listed for transplantation, patients do have the right to transfer their care to another center. It is also possible to be placed on more than one list in different geographic regions.
Transplantation of a single lung works very well for many lung diseases, and many patients with PH have had a single lung transplant with good long-term results. However, nearly all transplant centers currently prefer to transplant both lungs (double-lung transplant) for patients who have PH, in part because there are generally fewer postoperative complications. Transplantation of the heart and both lungs (heart-lung transplant) may be needed in some patients and, in general, waiting time is longer when more than one organ is needed. Living donor lung transplantation (taking a lobe of one lung from a living person) is possible but requires two other healthy individuals, much larger in stature than the recipient, to each donate one lobe of a lung. Thus, living donor transplantation is mainly performed in pediatric patients who receive lung tissue from adult donors. Few living donor transplantations have been performed, and this option is available at only a few centers. At least one donor parent has died due to complications of the donation surgery.
Candidate selection criteria for lung transplant and post-transplant treatment regimens vary from center to center. The majority of centers transplant patients with idiopathic PH and congenital heart disease-related PH. Patients with PH related to diseases that affect more than just the lungs, such as those with scleroderma, are generally evaluated on a case-by-case basis and are not considered for transplantation at some centers. The age cutoff for listing PH patients may be somewhat lower than for patients with other types of end-stage lung disease requiring only single-lung transplantation. Generally, to be considered for double-lung transplant patients must be less than 60 years old and for heart-lung transplant they must be less than 50 years old. Systemic illnesses such as poorly-controlled diabetes with related complications in other organs, significant coronary artery disease or cancer (other than localized skin cancers) most often exclude patients from consideration for lung transplantation at the majority of centers. In addition, a detailed psycho-social evaluation is performed at all centers to determine whether patients are fully committed to lung transplantation and whether there will be adequate social support after transplantation. Support from family or friends is essential for a successful outcome because of the complicated post-transplant care. Patients should therefore inquire about the specific acceptance and rejection criteria at the center performing their evaluation.
Lung transplantation remains the only curative treatment for PH. However, while it may cure PH, it presents a wide range of new challenges for patients. Lung transplantation is most effective for patients who have a positive attitude and are not troubled by the need to take multiple medications daily or to have frequent medical testing.


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Rampant speculation suggests that the network neutrality rule at the FCC may be watered down significantly, and that the White House has been unhappy with just how radical the proposal is. But in his YouTube Q&A yesterday, President Obama made clear his own commitment to an open Internet.
The question he responded to was the highest-ranked question in the "jobs and economy" section: "An open Internet is a powerful engine for economic growth and new jobs. Letting large companies block and filter online content and services would stifle needed growth. What is your commitment to keeping the Internet open and neutral in America?"
Obama opened by saying, "I'm a big believer in net neutrality." He then went on to give a public endorsement to his man at the FCC, saying that "my FCC Chairman, Julius Genachowski, has indicated the he shares the view that we've got to keep the Internet open."
Watch the entire answer below.


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Over the past few days, Google and Alibaba have argued over whether Alibaba's Aliyun OS is a ripoff of Android. But one thing does not seem to be in dispute: the Aliyun app store is hosting a bunch of pirated Android applications.
When Acer attempted to release a phone running Aliyun OS, Google objected, telling Acer it would lose the privileges it gets as a member of the Open Handset Alliance. OHA membership bars members from releasing non-compatible versions of Android. Alibaba claims Aliyun is not really a version of Android, but Alibaba has not disputed Android chief Andy Rubin's assertion that the Aliyun app store "contains Android apps (including pirated Google apps)."
A search for "Google" on the Aliyun store turns up what appear to be numerous copies of official Google applications, including Google Drive, Google Books, and Google Sky Map:
Given Google's disdain towards Aliyun, it's fair to say Google didn't authorize distribution of those apps. We've been in touch with Alibaba, and while the company has been quick to dispute Google's assertion that Aliyun is just an incompatible fork of Android, Alibaba did not reply to repeated questions about whether its store hosts pirated Android apps.
Of course, even Google's official Android store has had to deal with pirated and renamed versions of legitimate software. But Aliyun seems to highlight them prominently. This screenshot from the front page of the Aliyun store shows multiple versions of Angry Birds, Temple Run, and Eternity Warriors 2:
The developers listed are not the ones who actually made the apps. We contacted the makers of the three apps we listed above. Temple Run Creator Keith Shepherd of Imangi Studios responded and told us "I don't recognize the vendor. Looks pirated to me." The version of Temple Run on Aliyun's app store uses the same screenshots that appear on the official Google Play store.
The pirated apps can be downloaded as APK files (the standard Android application file format), and watermarks indicate that many originate from another "pirate site" in China called Nduoa, according to this excellent analysis of the Aliyun app store posted by Android Police. The site also said it received confirmation from several game developers that they did not give consent for their apps to be distributed on Aliyun's app store.
We also noticed at least one app description on Aliyun that shows what are clearly iPhone screenshots.
For Open Handset Alliance members, there's only one Android
There are certainly multiple versions and forks of the open source Android, for example the software used on Amazon's Kindle Fire, and Barnes & Noble's Nook tablets. But neither of those companies are members of Google's Open Handset Alliance, and don't have to play by the same rules that Acer does. Google is trying to prevent incompatible versions of Android, and argues that Aliyun's use of the "Android runtime, framework and tools" certainly makes it a version of Android.
Alibaba argues otherwise, telling Ars in a statement: "Aliyun OS incorporates its own virtual machine, which is different from Android's Dalvik virtual machine. Aliyun OS' runtime environment, which is the core of the OS, consists of both its own Java virtual machine, which is different from Android's Dalvik virtual machine, and its own cloud app engine, which supports HTML5 web applications. Aliyun OS uses some of the Android application framework and tools (open source) merely as a patch to allow Aliyun OS users to enjoy third-party apps in addition to the cloud-based Aliyun apps in our ecosystem."
But there seems to be no disputing that Aliyun is distributing pirated versions of Android applications, and Alibaba has so far chosen not to answer our questions on this topic. While the pirated applications aren't the only reason Google doesn't want a hardware partner releasing Aliyun phones, they certainly give Android's owner more incentive to take a stand.


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What is dynamic balance?
Balance is a seemingly straightforward term used within the fitness industry that is, in fact, quite complex. On one hand, balance is a simple concept that refers to the ability to hold a specific position. Balance is often trained with exercises that require the individual to maintain stability and control a stable center of mass over an unmoving base of support (e.g., single-leg stand). If daily-life activities only involved slow-motion movements with limited ranges of motion, then static-balance exercises would be an extremely effective way to train. However, during many of life's activities, balance occurs by having to control a moving center of gravity over a changing base of support, commonly called dynamic balance. The gait sequence is an excellent example of dynamic balance because the body has to transition and control its center of gravity from one leg to the other when walking or running. Because most of our clients have the ability to walk (and, in fact, many of them run as part of their fitness program), it is easy to see why dynamic balance is an important skill to consider when designing exercise programs.
How do I train for dynamic balance?
This is the point where balance training can become extremely complex. Ideally, dynamic balance requires that both the right and leg sides of the body allow symmetrical range-of-motion of the mobile joints (ankle, hip, thoracic spine). Symmetrical joint motion maximizes movement efficiency of the body. Optimal mobility of the hips and thoracic spine allows proper counter-rotational movement of the arms and legs. Training for optimal dynamic balance while in motion requires training both sides of the body to work synergistically. Specifically, the left hip has to work with the right shoulder and the right hip has to work with the left shoulder.
In this context, helping a client achieve optimal balance requires you to identify strategies to strengthen both sides of the body at the same time. When David Weck developed the BOSU® Balance Trainer in 1999, he created a tool that is well-suited for enhancing coordination by improving symmetrical strength in the human body. Asymmetry occurs when one side of the body is stronger than the other. Using the BOSU Balance Trainer can help the weaker side improve and "catch-up" with the stronger side.
What are some exercises to help improve my clients' balance?
Here are five of my favorite advanced BOSU balance exercises to help clients improve dynamic balance.
Plank Progression – Improves balance one shoulder at a time.
This exercise begins by increasing the synergistic strength of the shoulders, core and hips and then progresses to strengthening each shoulder joint independently. The result is a strong and sculpted shoulder complex.
- Start in a standard prone plank position with both elbows on top of the dome; hold for 30 to 40 seconds
- Progress to one elbow at a time; add a rotation
- Progress to one-armed plank with a hand on top of the dome; add a rotation
Lunge Progression – Creates symmetrical hip mobility.
Placing the foot on top of the dome creates instability through the hip—use this motion to enhance range-of-motion of the hip joint and ultimately increase hip function and strength.
- Place the top of the left foot on the dome and the right foot out in front of the BOSU
- Keep the right foot firmly pressed into the ground and push the top of the left foot on to the dome (the idea is to try to lift the right foot by pushing down with the left)
- Hold for an isometric contraction, starting with 20 seconds and progressing to 45 seconds; alternate with both legs
- Progression: Use a medicine ball in a lifting sequence, start by lifting from the left hip (when the left foot is on the dome) to the right shoulder; perform six to 10 reps and alternate sides
- Progression: Close the eyes (this is much lot harder than it looks)
Diagonal Lift Sequence
Place foot on dome and use the leverage of hip position with ball movement to improve hip mobility. Placing the front foot on top of the dome enhances mobility of the front hip, engaging the muscles of the hip rotators to control unwanted motion. Using this exercise on both legs increases range-of-motion, improves strength and enhances balance.
- Press the left foot on top of the dome with the right leg behind your body. Press both feet firmly into the ground to anchor your bod—this downward motion helps open up both hips and improves range-of-motion.
- Hold the medicine ball in front of the right hip (move the ball from the trail leg to the opposite shoulder). Lift the ball upward in a diagonal pattern from the right hip to the left shoulder, while maintaining stability through the core. Complete eight to 12 reps and alternate sides.
Overhead Lift/Shoulder Mobilization With BOSU® PowerSTAX
The PowerSTAX is a new product for the BOSU Balance Trainer that will be available in the spring of 2013. The PowerSTAX is designed to provide a stable base for the Balance Trainer, but can also be used as a weightlifting tool since the water in the base (used to create stability and increase resistance) becomes a dynamic, shifting load when used in an exercise. Using an unstable load like water increases the challenge, requiring more strength from the shoulder muscles and greater mobility from the glenohumeral joints.
- Place a Balance Trainer dome-side down in a PowerSTAX base. Stand on the flat surface, maintain stability and press the PowerSTAX overhead. Keeping the PowerSTAX level during the overhead lift requires additional strength and stability.
Sandbell Catch-and-Toss While Standing on Platform Side
Catching and throwing a weight from an unstable position requires a tremendous amount of core strength to maintain dynamic stability. This exercise can be done with a standard medicine ball, but for an additional challenge a Sandbell (from Hyperwear) is recommended.
- Place a Balance Trainer dome-side down in a PowerSTAX base and stand on the flat surface with the left foot slightly forward. Work with a partner to throw and catch a Sandbell, first from the right side and then from the left.
This sample advanced BOSU balance workout provides an excellent example of how BOSU founder David Weck has evolved the both-sides utilized concept of the balance trainer, The both-sides utilized concept is an almost perfect way to describe dynamic balance, which requires both sides of the body to work in a coordinated fashion for efficient and effective movement. If you're looking for a way to challenge your clients and help them experience results, take another look at the BOSU Balance Trainer.


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Task Force Executive Director Rea Carey presents State of the Movement address
Task Force Executive Director Rea Carey presented the annual State of the Movement address today at Creating Change. What follows is the full text of Carey's speech:
After the ups, and the downs, of this past year, I've found myself at times angry, tired and saddened yet also excited and hopeful.
And today, I stand with you, not defeated but rather energized and focused.
Today I am ready for change — and I know you are too.
Peter LaBarbera, president of the right-wing, so-called Americans for Truth about Homosexuality, said in a communication to his members last July, "The gay movement has made significant headway through personal instruction and firsthand training…We're completely outgunned…They've got the Creating Change conference from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force train(ing) thousands of people per year."
Well, Peter LaBarbera, here we are. And, yes, once again you are outnumbered!
You are outnumbered by the over 2,500 people here and the thousands of others who are following this conference online all over the world.
We've been through a lot in the 38 years since the Task Force was founded. We've faced tough times before but we will not stop until we create the necessary change to live our lives freely!
Welcome everyone to Creating Change 2011!
I am so happy to be back in Minneapolis because Minneapolis and St. Paul have led the nation in standing up and declaring that LGBT people are equal. And, Minneapolis is the Task Force's home too, with an office and our faith program staff based here.
We're going to talk a lot this weekend about community. About building a community, about expanding our community, about being a community and about leading as a community.
Our national culture of divide and conquer has taken us to the brink. This year on too many occasions, as a nation, we've looked over the edge. It's time we together take a step back; make that, a few steps back.
We do have a choice.
We can choose change.
We can show this country what real community looks like.
As you've heard, we have with us this weekend many of our brothers and sisters who do their work through organizing in communities of faith. A focus of this weekend will be on building stronger ties with the faith community, bridging the faith and secular worlds, and developing a vision that will enable us to move forward together.
For me, being an activist — a secular activist — devoting myself to the higher purpose of working for LGBT freedom and equality, for human rights, is very much a spiritual practice.
Activism connects us to each other, to those we've never met and those of future generations who will benefit from our actions and our work.
I have faith in social change. Faith in all of us in this room and across the country who will not take no for an answer, who will not tolerate abuses of basic human rights; and who have proven again and again that change is possible.
For many, faith is believing in the unseen.
It is confidence, that what we hope for and aspire to, will come to be.
Now I don't have to tell you, the LGBT community is a group that knows a lot about faith.
We cling to it every day, to the belief in things yet unseen. Despite the barriers, despite the ups and downs, we keep steady on our march, our eyes ever on the prize.
It's our faith in the promise of this country and the goodness of people that keeps us going.
Even when the full extent of that promise remains unseen.
We hold fast.
We still believe.
It's proven a hard march, but one that others have taken successfully before us. It's in their footsteps that we travel — confident that their outcomes can also be ours.
And that in time, our footsteps too will help others.
And that if we persevere, if we keep our faith, if we stay strong and unified, if we stay true to what we struggle for — we will be rewarded.
We've seen it before — right here in Minnesota.
In 1974, 37 years ago, Minneapolis passed a nondiscrimination ordinance covering sexual orientation. Then a year later, that law was revised to include transgender people. Finally, after gaining and then losing protections, St. Paul secured LGBT protections for good in 1990.
Also in 1990, the Task Force held Creating Change right here in Minneapolis.
It helped local organizers galvanize attention, energy and organizing power, and in 1993 the first-ever statewide, inclusive nondiscrimination law was passed.
Thank you, Minnesota, for showing the country what a community can do.
Minnesotans know how to stand up for equality and know how to stand up to those who would deny us freedom — and I can't wait to see what happens after this year's conference.
In the coming months, Minnesota may be called to stand up to those who want to deny our relationships and our families by attempting to ban marriage and to those who seek to make English the state-sanctioned language; and to those who want to repeal fair pay laws for women and to ban state funding for abortion services.
And we will be called to stand with Minnesota — and we will.
It has been quite a year since we last came together.
I'll be the first to admit that this has been a challenging year.
I know many of us come here this week frustrated and angry and perhaps a bit nervous about what this year will bring. Wondering about the direction of our movement.
And there's nothing wrong with being angry.
When a majority denies the basic humanity of a minority, being angry is understandable. More than that, it's to be expected.
But let's use our frustration and anger — and our passion, our creativity, our desire for justice — and channel it for good.
For those of us who have been in this movement for decades, we know that we have seen better times, but, we also know that we've seen worse times.
Far worse times.
Times in this country when we were more isolated than we are now.
Times when we weren't in a place to argue over whether this legislative path or that path is the best way to reach legal equality – there was no visible path.
Times when our thousands of queer youth groups, campus groups, political organizations, social clubs, HIV/AIDS and health service organizations and out elected officials didn't exist.
They just didn't exist.
In the last 10 years alone, we've made significant progress.
In 2000, there were just 700 Gay-Straight Alliances in high schools. Today, there are over 4,000. And, LGBT-inclusion in anti-bullying policies is now considered a "best practice" by the U.S. Department of Education.
In 2000, just about half a percent of Fortune 500 companies protected workers based on gender identity. Today, over 43 percent do. And 89 percent of Fortune 500 companies include sexual orientation in their nondiscrimination policies.
Today, there are now over 1,000 appointed and elected officials around the world — over 700 of them in the U.S. alone.
And just three short years ago, federal policies were littered with discrimination and ignored our lives. But even there we've made progress.
And look around you; this is one of the largest Creating Change conferences ever.
Think we're backing down? Think we're pressing pause?
Not a chance.
Yes, we have more to accomplish, more to push for. But, like those who have gone before us to get us to this place, we must always have a vision for more.
We will never give up. We will never allow our anger to turn into apathy; never allow our frustration to turn into fear.
Yes, this year has been a bit of a rollercoaster.
But, now is not the time to get off the ride. This is it, this is the work, this is the movement forward. And sometimes moving forward includes highs and lows, peaks and valleys.
This last year, we felt the high of repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." And we felt the low of our nation's elected leaders failing to pass the DREAM Act.
We experienced the strength of standing side by side with our friends in the labor, feminist and civil rights movements for the One Nation rally, calling attention to the need for jobs and economic justice.
And, we experienced the depths of despair as more LGBT young people were harassed and bullied to death and of hearing that our brother in this work, David Kato, was murdered just last week — violence that has been fueled by U.S.-based evangelicals fanning the flames of homophobia in Uganda. Workers for human rights across the globe literally risk their lives.
To all of our brothers and sisters working for change in Uganda, our hearts are with you and we stand beside you as we all fight state-sanctioned violence, discrimination and religious bigotry, here and abroad.
Up and down, high and low — it's the nature of the struggle for human rights, for LGBT civil rights.
But the harder we work, the more committed we remain, the stronger we will be and the more peaks we will see in our future.
Consider what we accomplished just this year:
Once again, those opposed to our equality tried to take away basic LGBT nondiscrimination protections in Bowling Green, Ohio. But, once again, like we did the year before in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and the year before that in Gainesville, Florida — we waged a grassroots campaign, faced down attacks, and we won.
Well done, Ohio.
And in over 15 towns — towns like Missoula, Montana; Taylorsville, Utah; and Haverford, Pennsylvania — organizers were successful in passing trans-inclusive nondiscrimination laws.
We've seen again and again that grassroots power, time-tested and increasingly sophisticated campaigning, and neighbors talking to neighbors, always win the day.
As we've long said at the Task Force, "Equality Begins At Home!"
Congratulations to all the local and state organizations and grassroots organizers for the wins this year.
And, on the federal level, the Task Force and our partner organizations in our New Beginning Initiative have succeeded in gaining protections for some of the most vulnerable in our community and at some of the most vulnerable moments we face.
Moments like when your partner goes to the hospital, sick or hurt and needs you at her side. One year ago, we could be barred at the door. Now, because of a presidential order, 90 percent of hospitals must let us in to be with our loved ones.
One year ago, LGBT families in need could be turned away by a homophobic gatekeeper as they applied for public housing or a home loan. But just this month, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced numerous changes that will protect LGBT people as we seek the basic human right of shelter for ourselves and our families.
Now some people call this piecemeal progress.
I say this isn't piecemeal if you are poor, or elderly, or need a roof over your head, or don't want to experience the indignity of contorting our family realities into a government form that once only gave you the choice of mother and father.
This progress isn't piecemeal. It's powerful.
And it moves us forward as a people and a society.
And, of course, we had a big success in the 11th hour of the 2010 congressional session.
After generations of hiding pictures of each other and writing love letters in coded language;
After generations of service members' partners not being allowed the dignity to know whether their partners are safe or have died, because the military didn't recognize their love;
After generations of being asked to risk their lives while being forced to lie;
After 17 years of working to overturn an immoral law…
My friends, we succeeded in overturning "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
I would like to ask all service members, veterans and their family members to please stand or raise your hand if you are able.
And, for married couples in the military, we know our work is not complete for you until we overturn the so-called Defense of Marriage Act. For our transgender friends, we know our work is not complete until you too are able to serve.
We also know that our work is not finished until people with low incomes, people of color and young immigrants have other ways to secure their futures than by joining the military.
This is our work too.
This year the LGBT community showed that we care about the many issues that affect our lives — jobs and economic security; social security, immigration; and in health-care reform work — which, by the way, will benefit more LGBT people than any LGBT-specific legislation we've been working on. As you know, health-care reform is under attack and we must let our voices be heard.
When you take a step back, and take a look, this is remarkable progress.
But this is only part of the story, only part of the change.
Every day, there are individual people who are creating change in ways that are truly inspiring.
This year, as I was working on this speech, I asked people across the country to send me a message about how they are creating change.
Hundreds of you responded.
People like the Rev. Judith Hanlon, who along with her friend, attorney Lisa Weinberg, formed a community organization that supports LGBT asylum seekers. So far, they have helped 22 people from countries, including El Salvador, Iraq, Uganda and Cameroon. Judith, who describes herself as "straight, suburban, religious and passionate," is with us here today.
People like Des Shelton and Sarah Lindstrom who live right here and wanted to walk together in their school's Snow Day celebration. Des and Sarah had been elected by their classmates to join the royalty contingent at the celebration. School officials quickly declared that no students would walk with other students, breaking a long tradition in order to deny Des and Sarah their request to march together. Des and Sarah, with help from legal organizations and advocates, fought back and the school officials reconsidered, inviting all students to walk with other students, including Des and Sarah. Des, Sarah and some of their classmates are attending Creating Change this week.
People like Lori Buckwalter, a radio programmer in the Northwest, who came out as a transgender woman on the air six months ago. Recently, a woman told Lori that her coming out had "saved a friend's life" — a trans woman who despaired to come out and was suicidal. Lori wrote to me, "This may not be a huge change — just one precious life — but I'm as proud and happy as I could be to have given hope."
People like Carole Stoneking, a 73-year-old woman from South Carolina, who came out in 1956 when she was 19 years old. As an OLOCer, an "Old Lesbian Organizing for Change," she is making sure that women over 60 know there is an organization that cares about them. She has had both hips replaced, both wrists replaced, both cataracts removed, and she keeps on going. Carole is with us here today.
And, people like Tony Perri and his grandson, who shared their experiences through National Public Radio's Story Corp, of growing up gay in the '40s and '50s and in the '90s and 2000s — both as out gay men. Their stories are now part of the Library of Congress archives. Tony is with us here today.
Judith, Lori, Des & Sarah, Carole and Tony…you are my heroes.
To those here with us and to those elsewhere who create change every day — thank you!
But, what really is our vision for change?
How high can we reach?
That's up to us.
As for those who oppose us, who want to hold us down and back, they have less to say about what we achieve than we do.
And that means we — right here in this room and listening at home — we can be either the architects of our freedom or the silent witnesses of lost opportunity.
Our path…the vision of our future…we decide.
But we must be careful.
If we decide our movement is about just one issue or a few issues then we will have trapped ourselves with self-imposed and limited expectations.
We cannot just be about marriage or military service or immigration fairness — we must be about all these things and more.
Our movement must be interconnected with others, not single-issue focused.
Our goal cannot be one issue, nor even a brief checklist.
Our sights must be set beyond what most consider to be equality.
Our goal must be unconditional justice. A transformed society.
And to achieve that, we must work differently.
When there is a victory, yes, we can breathe it, savor it, but then immediately we must ask, "What's next?"
That must be our vision for the future, and that must become what we expect from ourselves, from each other, from our leaders and from our movement.
I believe that one day we will have a gay president.
I believe that one day we will have a lesbian president.
I believe that one day we will have a bisexual president.
I believe that one day we will have a transgender president.
Quick, check your reaction to what I've just said.
Do you believe me? Do you agree?
I'm sure, even right here in this room, our reactions range the spectrum from, "She's full of it," to "Not in my lifetime" to "Yes!" and somebody who's daring to think "Maybe that will be me."
I'm not saying being the president is the ultimate in demonstrating freedom. But in this country it does speak to a level of change, of public support, of possibility. It speaks to our expectations.
If we can't believe it, we certainly can't achieve it.
If we don't believe in our power to transform society, it won't happen.
We must define what is possible, not let society do that for us. Or to us.
So let me say this again — I believe that one day we will have a gay, lesbian, bi or trans president.
I believe this because of what I've seen.
In just the last few years, our movement has made extraordinary progress. We are no longer just an LGBT movement but a broader human rights movement, and that has meant — and will mean — an evolution in both our expectations and our composition.
For many years, PFLAG has shown us that you don't have to be lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender to fight for LGBTQ rights. In the last few years, we've seen an explosion of straight allies who claim LGBT freedom and equality as their fight too.
And following the recent midterm elections, in the next couple years, we're going to need our friends more than ever.
For us, the next year will be a time when we focus on broadening our community and alliances, when we work together to strengthen our relationships and when we work together with our friends to lift both ourselves and them.
Congress is going to be less receptive, but we've been there before. In what was thought the best of times or the worst of times, we've always made progress.
But, in particular, we've always made progress in building our grassroots power and making positive change happen for LGBT people at the local and state level.
Our movement has been built on more than 40 years of sacrifice and commitment; we've been through too much to ever let one election or one referendum or one Tea Party stop us.
The end of DADT didn't just happen. Its roots can be traced back decades. Its demise was foreshadowed by the racial integration of the military and women being able to serve alongside men.
And that's the way of social change — it stands on the shoulders of and bears the fingerprints of those who came before us.
And so even now, when many think the tide is flowing against us, our progress will not be stopped.
We will set our expectations high and we will pursue them.
We are not only fighting for legal equality. We want to transform society, securing unconditional justice and freedom not just for LGBT people, but for all people.
In fact, long before our movement talked about equality, we (and other movements before us) spoke of freedom and liberation — concepts that cannot be limited.
Freedom and liberation, by their very nature, resist restriction.
And so when we seek equality, when we seek freedom and liberation, we seek it not just for ourselves, but for all people.
Look around the country. While Congress may be slow to change, our country is not.
Our towns, our neighborhoods, our families — change is happening, whether or not the halls of Congress reflect it.
It's just another example of our national leadership being out of touch with the people.
Take marriage equality — a majority of Americans, including more than a few notable Republicans, now state their support for it, even if a majority of Congress and the president state they do not.
Our nation is changing rapidly. Unfortunately, at the moment, our government is not, but it will. We'll make sure of that.
Not only on what are considered to be LGBT-specific issues, but on the broader set of issues that affect our day-to-day lives.
That's why we at the Task Force have been holding meetings with civil rights leaders, union leaders, immigration and other progressive leaders so that we may think together, strategize together and work together to keep the momentum of progress ever forward even as some in government want to move backward.
Yes, we will continue to work on LGBT-specific legislation, to organize for ballot measures, to train leaders and grassroots organizers for the campaigns of the day.
But truly transformative change, change that shifts the very foundations of our society, change that seeks to impact hearts, minds and behavior — this is the change that lasts.
And this is the change to which we are called.
As we seek this change, we must do so recommitted to our common future and to each other's success.
As we move into this new decade, we have the opportunity to make new choices about how we do our work as a movement. Make new choices about who we partner with.
And so as we make decisions about what's next for us, there are a few things we should consider:
• First, we must make our movement one that truly represents the racial, gender and economic diversity of our community. We cannot make the progress we need to make on the many issues that affect the lives of LGBT people with so many of our organizations run by white people. The more diverse and more representative we are, the stronger we will be. And to that end, the Task Force is working through our Academy for Leadership and Action to increase the number and diversity of people skilled at stepping into staff, board and volunteer roles of our movement.
• Second, we must work harder to make gender identity and expression central to our work. We ALL have a gender identity. We all express our genders in different ways. Our transgender brothers and sisters are bearing the brunt of discrimination, but it is discrimination that is also an attack on those of us who do not identify as transgender.
In fact, just this morning, we released the report on the National Transgender Discrimination Survey: Injustice at Every Turn. We were proud to have done this in partnership with the National Center for Transgender Equality. Each of you has a copy of the executive summary on your chair. Use it. The survey provides groundbreaking data about transgender and gender non-conforming people. The results show that transgender people — and especially transgender people of color — face devastating levels of discrimination in every area of life — and they show incredible resilience even in the face of such discrimination. The survey is a wake-up call and a call to action for our movement. This must be a shared fight.
• Third, we must be more open and accepting of help from our straight allies and non-LGBT movement colleagues and leaders. Honestly, 20, 15 or even 10 years ago, there were not a lot of non-LGBT progressive groups pounding on our door, looking to help us with ENDA or team with our grassroots activists to help pass protections on the state or local levels. There were some, but not many. But, it is also true that we didn't always ask for help or do the work necessary to make the connections.
We got used to working alone, talking only to ourselves, messaging only to ourselves (yes, some of our campaign ads over the years made us feel good, but they didn't change votes). But now that's changed. We have friends. We have allies. And we need to listen and work with them in a way that acknowledges their commitment and values their partnership.
• And finally, if you work at or volunteer for an LGBT organization, take a moment to identify existing coalitions — or start them — that address economic or tax policy, racial justice, criminal justice or other issues not always considered to be LGBT issues. Join them, share your perspectives from the LGBT community and show or learn about how these issues are LGBT issues. We can't just show up when we want help on marriage or nondiscrimination and expect it from our allies. If we do not see our work in an expansive way, in a way that speaks to the many issues in our lives, partner with progressive organizations and show up on those broader issues, we will be halted in our progress. We will not make progress.
If we could do these things, I truly believe we wouldn't be arguing about whether prison reform, immigration, housing or reproductive justice are LGBT issues.
If we could do these things, I believe we would gain more support from a broader range of society and we will get marriage, we will get federal nondiscrimination, we will have safe schools.
If we could do these things, we would lead like we have never led before.
These are challenging times — for everyone.
These are times when our common struggles ought to be bringing us together rather than tearing us apart.
It's too easy in tough times to look for someone to blame, someone to point a finger at as we ease our own pain by causing pain for another.
It's happening every day, and it's dragging our country down.
Because if we don't believe in each other, if we can't trust each other, if we can't put another's interests ahead of our own, if we can't wish another happiness, if we fear another's success more than we hope for our own, then we are lost.
Let us take this unique moment in our movement's history
• a moment when our elders and others among us remember what it was like to be invisible, to be in the closet in every single area of their lives, to be institutionalized, beaten and denigrated;
• a moment when the young among us have grown up in a society where there are legally married same-sex couples, where there are gay characters on TV and out members of Congress;
Let's take advantage of this moment in which we all expect and demand more than basic legal equality and create lasting, permanent, irreversible change. Just like the runner, exhausted by the race but at the sight of the finish line, runs even harder, even faster, not slower to reach that line we too must run fast, we must push hard.
Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, many of us have internalized the limitations that have or still do exist in society for LGBT people.
Today, I am asking us to resist with all our will those limitations, to be — as Gandhi said, "the change you want to see in the world." I ask that we truly feel our power, allow ourselves to envision a new future.
We can gain motivation and inspiration from ourselves and each other if we act as if change is right around the corner — because it is!
Let us act as if one day, no one — not here, not in Uganda, not in Egypt, not anywhere — will be murdered or silenced simply because of who we are, who we love, or because we work for freedom and human rights.
Act as if OUR dream, our vision of freedom WILL come true — and that it will come true MUCH sooner than we'd imagined.
Act as if we will have an LGBT-supportive Congress and president in 2012 — and start organizing the vote now!
Act as if all LGBT people understand that immigration reform, prison reform, disability justice, racial and economic justice are LGBT issues.
Act as if all people know they will be more free to express themselves as we in the
LGBT movement work for sexual freedom.
Act as if you, you are the person who will create the change to set us all free.
When we leave this week, let us inspire each other to lead, to create a society where justice is unconditional, where the strength of diversity is not a goal but a given, and where the concern is not who we love but that we love.
Believe in us.
Believe in yourself.
Believe that the sweetness of freedom will, one day, be on all of our lips.
And let's go create change!


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The Talker: Wrestler Ultimate Warrior dies at 54
Staff Writer
The Holland Sentinel
Trending on Twitter
Fans and fellow wrestlers are reacting to the sudden death at age 54 of The Ultimate Warrior (born James Brian Hellwig), one of professional wrestling's biggest superstars. On Saturday, he had just been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. #RIPUltimateWarrior
Something to talk about
School violence occurred again today when a male sophomore went on a stabbing spree at a Pittsburgh-area high school, police said. More than 20 people were injured, and the attacker is in custody.
Hot video
This takes talent! This Pittsburgh Pirates fan lost a lot of popcorn when he used his popcorn tub to catch a foul ball, but he's got some great bragging rights now.
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Kadima/Family Virtual Game Night
July 22, 2024 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm UTC+0
|Recurring Event (See all)
An event every week that begins at 7:00 pm on Monday, repeating indefinitely
Our weekly virtual Kadima game night is now open to parents and siblings as well. Our games and activities are always family-friendly, but sometimes it's just more fun with more players!
Mondays 7-8:30 PM
RSVP below to receive the Zoom link and password 30 minutes before start time.


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528 Credit Score – What does it mean & How to Improve It? (2023 Update)
Having a high credit score is a very important key that potentially unlocks so many financial benefits for you. In case you are planning to get a new house, car apartment, loan, credit card or any other gadget important to you and you are not yet capable of paying fully for it, it's very important to understand is 528 credit score "good" or "bad". A good credit score presents you to a potential creditor as a reliable person to borrow money.
In case you apply for a loan, quite a number of lenders, landlords as well as cell phone service providers will look out for your credit score before considering whether your application should be accepted or not.
Is 528 credit score good or bad?
Well, it may not be that bad and it can be really bad depending on your scope for standard of living. A credit score under 528 is considered a bad score, but if you don't care if you are perceived as someone who will never pay pack by a potential lender, then there is nothing wrong with having a 528 credit score.
If you don't mind finding it difficult to secure a new accommodation because the landlord did not trust you because of your low credit score; or don't mind having issues with your cell phone service provider because they mistook you for a perpetual debtor, then a 528 credit score is no big deal. Below is the breakdown of a credit score rating:
|Credit Score
|750 – 850
|700 – 749
|650 – 699
|550 – 649
|549 and below
What does a 528 credit score mean and how it affects your life?
Scores below 528 are generally considered as low. No one wants to part away with their money especially when they have any reasons no matter how slight it is to doubt the person who wants to borrow from them.
In reality you may not be a bad debtor. You may actually be a credible person indeed but a low credit score will present you to a potential benefactor as a person that cannot be trusted to pay back.
You don't have to risk being denied the opportunity to get credit cards as well as loans. In the rare occasion when you even get loans, you will end up being subjected to having to pay a high interest not because you are a bad person but because your credit score is low.
What happens if you improve your 528 credit score by 50 or 100 points?
Well, an improvement in your credit score comes with a lot of unprecedented benefits. It opens up for you doors of opportunities that have once been slammed on you.
An improved credit score shows to a potential creditor that you have become more responsible with the way you go about handling money. An increase in your 528 credit score notifies your potential benefactor that you are now way more credible than you use to be.
It gives your potential lender a kind of guarantee that money given to you is not thrown away but has been handed over to someone who will manage it well and pay back as promised. Simply put, it rings a lot of positive bells around your personality.
… and if you don't?
You don't want to risk a decrease in your credit score. It portrays you to someone you plan persuading to borrow you money as a person who can no longer be trusted. It raises a kind of negative alarm about you.
A reduction in your credit score paints you to a potential helper as someone who used to be faithful with money but no longer cares about that anymore. The credit score below 528 tells your potential lender to be careful and think twice before giving you his money.
A reduced credit score tells your potential employer to watch out for you because you are not likely to work with the company in honesty. It tells your cell phone service provider to be wary of you. It makes your potential lender guard themselves by raising the interest rate you will pay back.
Breakdown of a credit score rating
We shall proceed by looking at the various credit score range and their implication.
- 750-850 score is excellent. People who are within this score range are above the national average and creditors will easily have no issue granting them loans. Only 1% of individuals in this category end up not paying back.
- 700-749 score is very good. People who are within this score range are above the national average and it is of great benefit because they will not really have any difficulty in getting loan and they will get the loan at lower interest rate. Around 2% of individuals with this score range don't pay back.
- 650-699 score is great. This score recognizes a borrower as "worthy" which implies he or she won't get as low a loan cost as those in a higher FICO rating range. Around 8% of loaners with credit of 650-699 are probably going to end up defaulting.
- 550-649 score is reasonable. Since this score go beneath the national normal, these borrowers will have a more troublesome time getting credit and, in the event that they are endorsed, will almost certainly up paying a higher loan cost than those with better credit. Just around 28% of those with FICO ratings of 550-649 end up not paying back.
- 549 and lower score is not good enough. Purchasers who fall inside this range are viewed as a
poor credit hazard and might be rejected. Numerous who fall inside this range would frequently
put down a deposit before getting credit cards or home utility services.
Individuals with 528 FICO score find it very difficult or almost impossible to get loans because they are perceived as a risk too high to take by potential lenders. 61% of purchasers within this range end up not paying back.
The most essential factor in deciding your score is your history of payment. It is basically just a record of how consistent you are with paying back when borrowed money. The second more essential factor is how much you owe. This describes the amount you're utilizing of the aggregate credit you have accessible and it is otherwise called your "utilization ratio."
Moneylenders trust that borrowers who are near maximizing their credit will probably miss installments. The third factor is the length of history and is controlled by how long you operate your accounts, and in addition to what extent it's been since those accounts were utilized.
The two factors that seem to play a very minute role in determining your credit score are the rate at which you start up new accounts as well as whether you do change account types incessantly. This is important because it shows lenders how responsible you are when it comes to managing an account.
Dealing with negative information which impacts your 528 credit score
If you have concrete plans to avoid things that ends up winding down your credit score and presents you to a potential lender as a perpetual debtor who just cannot be trusted to handle finances responsibly; then you need to be more watchful of how you handle your spending.
Having a low credit score is not an accidental event, there are things that has led to the other or are simultaneously acting in conjunction to make your 528 FICO credit score low thereby denying you the requisite purchasing power to chase your dream.
The following are things you should watch out for if you don't want your credit score to keep reducing:
Keep an eye on your credit report
You need to deliberately request your credit report so that you can by yourself analyze how well you are doing in terms of keeping up with payment of the money you are. This will help you make deliberate steps to avoid having a low credit score.
You have the right to request for your credit report for free and you should take advantage of that to improve your chance of getting loans.
Pay to get the report when necessary
In case you no longer have access to free credit report because you have used up your free credit score report that is free for the year, go ahead to order for it from the bureaus though you may have to pay for it.
The fact that you are paying for it however should not deter you from getting the report because you have more to gain from having access to your credit report than the money you may spend on requesting for the report.
It is however advisable you get the three reports from the bureaus because this will help you to do a complete evaluation of your spending activities. What is what doing at all is worth doing well, hence, it is better you get all you can so that you can fully keep an eye on your credit score and avoids it reduction.
When you get the report
Check out for the times you have provided wrong information that portrays a false identity of your person and also watch out for your accounts in the past that were not handled responsibly as well as ensure that you are maximizing accounts that are above the credit limit.
What can a 528 FICO credit score get you?
Let us evaluate the things you are entitled to and things you may find it difficult to access when your FICO credit score is 528 in regards to credit cards, personal loans, Auto loans, Mortgage and Home loan.
Credit cards for 528 credit score
Having low credit score ensures that you don't have access to secure credit cards because you will be requested to pay an initial deposit and your low credit score presents you as a high risk for credit card issuers.
528 credit score means that you will have to settle for unsecured Credit cards such as First PREEMIER Bank Matercard Credit card, Fingerhut Credit card and Surge MasterCard.
|Credit Score
|Capital One Mastercard (secured)
|Bad (528 – 538)
|OpenSky Visa Card (secured)
|No check
|Credit One Visa
|First PREMIER Bank Classic
|Bad/Poor (528 – 533)
Getting personal loan with 528 credit score
A low credit score of course does not mean that you can never have loan granted. It does not mean that all doors of getting the loan you seek is closed; however, you will not find it easy to get your request for a loan easily granted.
It also means that by the time you are afforded a loan request, it will not come easy without it cost. Your 528 credit score presents you as a high risk for a potential lender and you will be granted loan at a high interest rate than those with a high credit score rating.
Read more about getting personal loan with 528 credit score.
| Loan
| Monthly Payment*
|OneMain Financial
|60 Months
|60 Months
|36 Months
What is car loan interest rate with 528 credit score
Just like getting a personal loan, getting a car loan with a 528 credit score also lands you in a similar kind of stress. A low credit score of course does not mean that you cannot obtain an auto loan, it is just that it becomes a little bit more complicated.
It makes a potential lender see you as someone that cannot be trusted to pay back and this will be detrimental to your chance of getting an auto loan as you will be required to pay deposit so that the lender can reduce the risk taken.
| Loan
| Monthly Payment*
|60 Months
|60 Months
|36 Months
Mortgage agencies, like every other lender is wary of a person with a low credit score. They want assurances for mortgaging their house to you and a 528 FICO score says any other thing about you apart from the assurance of payment.
You end up having access to what is known as the "sub-prime mortgage" which is not altogether bad but of course cannot be compared to what you would have had access to with a better credit score.
Home Loans
The inevitable consequence of a low credit score in regards to getting a home loan is that you may have to settle for a lesser grade home or have to bring more to the table to convince a potential lender.
Your low credit score of course may have been a product of mistakes and negligence, not because you are a bad person. A potential lender is more concerned about their money rather than your person and this will make them more careful before granting you a home loan.
Free credit reports and scores from all 3 bureaus
It is important to note that various agencies exist when it comes to the measurement of your credit score and every agency has its own focal point and considerations they look at when summing up your credit score.
Vantage, Karma and FICO are some of the agencies that measure, evaluated and sum up your credit score. Ensure that when checking your credit score, you check out the premises for evaluation of the particular agency measuring your credit score.
Not keeping an eye on this may give you a false sense of security when you are not actually truly having a good credit score or an exaggeration of how bad you are handling your finance. Hence, make sure you check the credibility of the agency before accepting the rating of your credit score.
How to improve 528 credit score?
Once you have understood the pros and cons of having a good credit score. You need to look at practical ways to improve your credit score rating. Do the following things to improve your credit score rating:
- Pay back on time consistently – This is the best way to guarantee that your 528 credit score keeps improving.
- Don't just close up an unused account incessantly – This will make potential lenders suspect foul play.
- Don't be afraid to negotiate with your creditors – Lenders are not monsters. Don't just give a time frame you may end up not being able to fulfill. Your sincerity with them can be a double edged sword that ensures that your credit score rating does not reduce and yet offers you the chance of obtaining the loan you desire at the same time.
- Avoid being bankrupt as much as possible – As much as possible, ensure you don't put too much pressure on your finance to the point of running bankrupt. Culture of responsible spending will see to this.